FRICTION-ENHANCING COMPOSITION, AND METHODS OF FORMULATING AND UTILIZING SAME

Abstract: A friction-enhancing composition including a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons, a thinning substance, a first abrasive substance, and a second abrasive substance which is harder than the first abrasive substance, and wherein both abrasive substances together comprise no more than 53 % by volume of the composition.

Description: FRICTION-ENHANCING COMPOSITION. AND METHODS OF FORMULATING AND UTILIZING SAME Packground Qf the Invention 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a composition to aid in removal and retention of bolts and screws, and in controlling the impact and resulting trajectory between impacting bodies. Particularly, the invention relates to friction-enhancing compositions comprising a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons, a thinning substance, and two or more abrasive substances which comprise no greater than approximately 53% by volume of the composition, and novel methods of formulating and utilizing such compositions. The composition aids a tool, such as a screwdriver or socket wrench, to grip the head of a headed fastener, such as a bolt or screw. The composition may also be used in place of a lock washer, or where it is desired to provide or increase friction between two objects to hold or control the objects relative to one another. 2. Description of Relevant Art Heretofore, there have been various means for loosening corroded or stripped fasteners, and for locking fasteners in place. Previously, if a bolt head or screw head was stripped, the fastener had to be drilled out. This is especially a problem when the fastener is made from a relatively soft metal, such as aluminum. Also, this method is generally not acceptable because an oversized fastener has to be used in place of the original stripped and drilled-out fastener. Also, if it was desired to lock the fastener in place, a lock washer was used to prevent easy removal of the fastener. This method does not always provide the security and tightness required. One aspect of the invention eliminates stripped fastener heads, and provides tighter and more secure fasteners. The relevant art is exemplified by Nohejl U.S. Patent 2,787,967; Morton Swiss Patent 404,835; Ingimarsson U.S. Patent 3,656,522; Wesner French Patent 2,278,981; Wesner U.S. Patent 4,154,276; Freschi French Patent 2,471,404; Zucker U.S. Patent 4,778,730; Crowcroft United Kingdom Patent 2,063,743; Pockrandt U.S. Patent 5,062,895; and Pockrandt PCT International Publication No. WO91/01201. None of the above-mentioned relevant art references disclose a friction-enhancing composition of matter, nor the novel method of formulating same, having the greatly improved beneficial characteristics provided by the present invention. Summary of the Invention The invention provides a friction-enhancing composition of matter, comprising a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons, a thinning substance, and two or more abrasive substances which comprise no greater than approximately 53% by volume of the friction- enhancing composition of matter. The term "thinning substance" as used herein means any substance having a specific gravity which is less than that of said semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons, and with which said semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons may be mixed to form a paste. The term "thinning substance" includes, but is not limited to, various polycyclic high-boiling fractions of petroleum, such as, for example, mineral oil. The invention also provides a method of formulating a friction-enhancing composition of matter, comprising the steps of: heating a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons so that said mixture becomes pourable; pouring said heated mixture into a mineral oil thinning substance; mixing said semisolid mixture and said mineral oil thinning substance to form a substantially homogenized paste; gradually adding aluminum oxide to the substantially homogenized paste while stirring it at a substantially high rate of speed; and then gradually adding silicon carbide to the composition while stirring it at a substantially high rate of speed. An object of the invention is to provide a novel composition which facilitates the removal of fasteners, such as bolts and screw. Another object is to provide a composition for aiding in the removal of fasteners with stripped heads. A further object is to provide a composition which can be used to provide greater friction than is normally created between objects, thus providing better holding power and/or impact control therebetween. The composition may also be used in place of a lock washer. The above and further objects, details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments The invention provides a friction-enhancing composition of matter, comprising: a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons; a thinning substance; and two or more abrasive substances which comprise no greater than approximately 53% by volume of the friction- enhancing composition of matter. The semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons preferably, but not necessarily, contains approximately 16 to 32 carbon atoms per molecule. The semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons may preferably, but not necessarily, be selected from a group consisting of microcrystalline waxes, fractions of petroleum, and hydrocarbons containing approximately 16 to 32 carbon atoms per molecule. The thinning substance may preferably, but not necessarily, comprise a polycyclic high-boiling fraction of petroleum, such as, for example, a mineral oil. The composition may comprise two or more abrasive substances preferably, but not necessarily, selected from a group consisting of refractory oxides, minerals, and carbides. The composition includes a first abrasive substance and a second abrasive substance, wherein the second abrasive substance is harder than the first abrasive substance. For example, if the first abrasive substance comprises an oxide of aluminum, then the second abrasive substance may preferably, but not necessarily, comprise silicon carbide. The semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons should preferably, but not necessarily, be present in the total composition of matter in the range of approximately 6% to 26% by volume. The thinmng substance should preferably, but not necessarily, be present in the total composition of matter in the range where approximately 40% to 60% by volume. The first abrasive substance should preferably, but not necessarily, be present in the total composition of matter in the range of approximately 15% to 35% by volume. The second abrasive substance should preferably, but not necessarily, be present in the total composition of matter in the range of approximately 2% to 18% by volume. Two examples of the novel compositions and the method of formulating same are set forth hereinbelow. Example No. 1 2 gallons (base) white petrolatum USP (Penreco* Snow) 6 gallons (thinner) white mineral oil USP, low temperature 3 gallons (50 lbs) Alpha Alumina, fused aluminum oxide 1 gallons (16.67 lbs) black silicon carbide (Carbolon) The petrolatum or petroleum jelly is a microcrystalline wax with a defined oil content. Microciystølline waxes consist mainly of iso and cycloparaffins with some alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons. The white petrolatum used in this example is odorless, soluble in hydrocarbons, has a specific gravity of approximately 0.86 at 60°F, and is a white opaque semisohd. The particular thinning substance used in this example may be a low temperature white mineral oil USP, such as sold under the trade name DrakeoP Supreme. The white mineral oil employed has a clear fluid appearance, is odorless, is insoluble in water, and has a specific gravity of 0.872 at 60°F. In this example, the first abrasive substance is a refractory oxide, such as fused aluminum oxide which contains 96 to 100% of alpha alumina (^0 3 ), and 0 to 4% of titanium dioxide (TiO^). In this example, the second abrasive substance is an inorganic carbide, such as black silicon carbide which is also known as Carbolon. Carbolon contains 97 to 100% of silicon carbide, and 0 to 3% of carbon. The base of white petrolatum is heated to approximately 240°F to bring it to a good pouring condition. Then the heated petrolatum is poured into the thinning substance, viz., the white mineral oil. The white petrolatum and white mineral oil are mixed for approximately 12 to 15 minutes to form a substantially homogenized paste. The homogenized paste can be used immediately to complete the formulation of the novel composition, or alternatively may be stored for later use for completing the formulation. It has been found that the homogenized paste can be stored for indefinite periods of time including days, weeks, months and much longer. The refractory oxide is then gradually added to the substantially homogenized paste while stirring at a substantially high rate of speed, e.g., approximately 2200 RPMs, for approximately 5 minutes. Thereafter, the Carbolon is gradually added to the composition while stirring at a substantially high rate of speed, e.g., 3500 RPMs, for approximately 5 minutes until the composition is substantially homogenized. It should be noted that the composition of Example No. 1 has approximately 12 gallons of starting ingredients, and yields approximately IOV2 gallons of final composition product. Example No. 2 3 gallons (base) white petrolatum 6V2 gallons (thinner) mineral oil 2V2 gallons refractory oxide I gallons inorganic carbide The composition of Example No. 2 is formulated substantially according to the method described hereinabove with respect to Example No. 1. While many variations of the amounts of ingredients have been tested within the volume ranges set forth hereinabove, it has been found that in order to obtain the greatly improved beneficial characteristics of the composition alluded to above that it is necessary that the composition contain two or more abrasive substances which comprise no greater than approximately 53% by volume of the friction-enhancing composition. It has been found that the composition of Example No. 1 has better shelf life and better friction-enhancing properties than the composition of Example No. 2. It is also been found to be essential that the second abrasive substance be substantially harder than the first abrasive substance. It should be noted that although fused aluminum oxide has been specifically mentioned hereinabove, various different refractory oxides may be satisfactorily employed as the first abrasive substance. It should also be noted that although Carbolon has been specifically mentioned hereinabove, various inorganic carbides and minerals may be used as the second abrasive substance. It has also been found that in contrast to various previously known compositions, the friction-enhancing composition of the present invention remains workable, does not loose its beneficial properties, does not dry out, and does not separate within a temperature range of approximately 15°F to 125°F. It has also been discovered that the novel composition is very useful in controlling the impact between colliding or impacting bodies. For example, the composition may be applied to a golf club head, and thereby give the golfer greater control over the trajectory of the impacted golfball. The composition may be useful for various impacting bodies including, but not limited to, sports appUcations, such as golf, tennis, basebaU, squash, ping-pong, etc., and other applications where it is necessary to control the impact and resulting trajectory between colliding or impacting bodies. When using the composition for fasteners and tools, a small amount of the composition is placed on either the tool or the fastener. The tool can then be used to remove stubborn and/or corroded fasteners. The composition may also be applied to a nut used in conjunction with a fastener. The composition aids the tool in removing the fastener by providing greatly increased friction along the contact surfaces between the tool and fastener. Thus, the force or torque applied to the fastener head is more evenly distributed along these contact surfaces, and the head of the fastener is not stripped by excessive pressure on unlocalized contact surfaces. The composition acts in a similar manner when removing a fastener with a previously-stripped head. The composition may also be used in place of a standard lock washer. More force or torque is required to remove a fastener having the composition used in place of a lock washer then that required when the fastener is provided with a standard lock washer. This is possible because of the increased friction provided by the novel composition of the present invention. A very important feature of the invention also resides in the fact that the composition when applied to a tool or to the fastener, no matter what the purpose or use of such tool may be, increases the Ufe of such tool by minimizing wear of such tool. Modifications may be made in the composition and the methods of formulating same without deviating from the basic concepts disclosed herein. For these reasons, only the following claims are intended to be definitions of the scope of the invention.

Claims: CLAIMS -1- A friction-enhancing composition of matter, comprising: a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons; a thinning substance; a first abrasive substance; a second abrasive substance; and said first abrasive substance and said second abrasive substance together comprising no greater than approximately 53% by volume of said friction-enhancing composition of matter. -2- A friction enhancing composition of matter according to claim 1, wherein: said thinning substance is a polycyclic high-boiling fraction of petroleum. -3- A friction enhancing composition of matter according to claim 1, wherein: said semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons is selected from a group consisting of microcrystalline waxes, fractions of petroleum, and hydrocarbons containing approximately 16 to 32 carbon atoms per molecule. -4- A friction enhancing composition of matter according to claim 2, wherein: said semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons is selected from a group consisting of microcrystaUine waxes, fractions of petroleum, and hydrocarbons containing approximately 16 to 32 carbon atoms per molecule. -5- A friction-enhancing composition of matter, wherein: said first abrasive substance comprises a refractory oxide. -6- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 2, wherein: said first abrasive substance comprises a refractory oxide. -7- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 3, wherein: said first abrasive substance comprises a refractory oxide. -8- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 4, wherein: said first abrasive substance comprises a refractory oxide. -9- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 1, wherein: at least 96% of said second abrasive substance is selected from a group consisting of minerals and carbides. -10- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 2, wherein: at least 96% of said second abrasive substance is selected from a group consisting of minerals and carbides. -11- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 3, wherein: at least 96% of said second abrasive substance is selected from a group consisting of minerals and carbides. -12- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 4, wherein: at least 96% of said second abrasive substance is selected from a group consisting of minerals and carbides. -13- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 5, wherein: at least 96% of said second abrasive substance is selected from a group consisting of minerals and carbides. -14- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 6, wherein: at least 96% of said second abrasive substance is selected from a group consisting of minerals and carbides. -15- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 7, wherein: at least 96% of said second abrasive substance is selected from a group consisting of minerals and carbides. -16- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 1, wherein: said semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons comprises a fraction of petroleum; said thinning substance comprises a polycyclic high-boiling fraction of petroleum; said first abrasive substance comprises an oxide of aluminum; and said second abrasive substance is substantially harder than said first abrasive substance. -17- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 1, wherein: said semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons is present in the total composition of matter in the range of approximately 6% to 26% by volume; said thinning substance is present in the total composition of matter in the range of approximately 40% to 60% by volume; said first abrasive substance is present in the total composition of matter in the range of approximately 15% to 35% by volume; and said second abrasive substance is present in the total composition of matter in the range of approximately 2% to 18% by volume. -18- A friction-enhancing composition of matter according to claim 1, wherein: said semisohd mixture of hydrocarbons comprises petrolatum; said thinning substance comprises a mineral oil; said first abrasive substance comprises an oxide of aluminum; and said second abrasive substance comprises an inorganic carbide. -19- A friction-enhancing composition of matter, comprising: a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons; a thinning substance; a first abrasive substance; a second abrasive substance; said second abrasive substance being substantially harder than said first abrasive substance; and said first abrasive substance and said second abrasive substance together comprising no greater than approximately 53% by volume of said friction-enhancing composition of matter. -20- A method of formulating a friction-enhancing composition of matter, comprising the steps of: heating a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons so that said mixture becomes pourable; pouring said heated mixture into a mineral oil thinning substance; mixing said semisolid mixture and said mineral oil thinning substance to form a substantially homogenized paste; gradually adding aluminum oxide to said substantially homogenized paste while stirring at a substantially high rate of speed; and then gradually adding a carbide to the composition while stirring at a substantially high rate of speed.

Inventors: POCKRANDT FRANK J, POCKRANDT, FRANK, J.
Applicants: POCKRANDT FRANK J, POCKRANDT, FRANK, J.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: C09K3
IPC codes: B24B1, C08J5, C09K3